Method and system for wireless battery charging utilizing ultrasonic transducer array based beamforming

• US 9,812,905 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Array IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Golba LLC
• Inventors: Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US14/997,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20160211705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 29594, 320107-108, 307104, 4551512, 34082572, 340 564, 340 1322
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

An ultrasound power transmitter comprising a transmit ultrasonic transducer array has a plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasound power transmitter activates a set of transmit ultrasonic transducers in close proximity of an electronic device to be arranged to beam ultrasound energy to the electronic device. Alignment magnets of the ultrasound power transmitter are aligned with corresponding alignment magnets of the electronic device to manage the ultrasound beaming. The ultrasound energy may be converted into electric power to charge the battery of the electronic device. Feedbacks may be provided by the electronic device to the ultrasound power transmitter to increase power transmission efficiency. The ultrasound power transmitter may pair the electronic device with other different electronic devices utilizing ultrasonic signals. A spacer with good ultrasound power transmission properties may be located between the ultrasound power transmitter and an ultrasound power receiver of an intended electronic device to enhance power transmission.

Claims

1. A method of processing signals, the method comprising:

in an ultrasound power transmitter device comprising a transmit ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers;

activating a set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers in a proximity of an ultrasound power receiver associated with a first electronic device and an ultrasound power receiver associated with a second electronic device; and

transmitting via said activated set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers, ultrasound signals comprising ultrasound energy to said ultrasound power receivers, wherein said ultrasound energy is utilized by each ultrasound power receiver to charge an electrical battery that powers the electronic device associated with the ultrasound power receiver, wherein the ultrasound signals transmitted from the power transmitter device to the first and second devices further comprise device pairing information to pair the first and second electronic devices to establish communication between the first and second electronic devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound power receivers convert said ultrasound energy into electric power to charge said electrical batteries that powers said electronic devices.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

activating said set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers in proximity of a specific geographic area; and

utilizing said activated set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers to transmit said ultrasound energy to said specific geographic area, wherein said first and second electronic devices are charged within said specific geographic area utilizing said ultrasound energy.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the ultrasound signals to the ultrasound power receivers comprises transmitting said ultrasonic signals to said first and second electronic devices utilizing different subsets of said set of transmit ultrasonic transducers.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein feedback is provided by said first and second electronic devices to said ultrasound power transmitter device over an ultrasound channel or other communication channel to increase power transmission efficiency for said ultrasound power transmitter device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasound power transmitter device comprise one or more alignment magnets that aligns with one or more alignment magnets of said first and second electronic devices for said transmitting.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a spacer comprising an ultrasound conductive material is located between said ultrasound power transmitter device and said ultrasound power receiver of the first electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device pairing information is generated by the ultrasound power transmitter device as a common secret to share by the first and second devices, wherein the first and second devices share no secrets prior to said pairing.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device pairing information comprises at least one of a desired application, a device identity identifier, a supported communication protocol, and a candidate communication network.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the ultrasound power transmitter device acting as a router to relay content between the first and second electronic devices.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the ultrasound power transmitter device transmitting a code to share by the first and second electronic devices to ensure the first and second devices still agree to pair with each other.

12. An ultrasound power transmitter device, comprising:

one or more processors and circuits; and

a transmit ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers, the ultrasound power transmitter device configured to;

activate a set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers in a proximity of an ultrasound power receiver associated with a first electronic device and an ultrasound power receiver associated with a second electronic device; and

transmit, via said activated set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers, ultrasound signals comprising ultrasound energy to said ultrasound power receivers, wherein said ultrasound energy is utilized by each ultrasound power receiver to charge an electrical battery of the electronic device associated with the ultrasound power receiver, wherein the ultrasound signals transmitted from the power transmitter device to the first and second devices further comprise device pairing information to pair the first and second electronic devices to establish communication between the first device and the second device.

13. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12, wherein said ultrasound power receivers convert said ultrasound energy into electric power to charge said electrical batteries of said electronic devices.

14. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12 , further configured to:

activate said set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers in proximity of a specific geographic area; and

utilize said activated set of said plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers to transmit said ultrasound energy to said specific geographic area, wherein said first and second electronic devices are charged within said specific geographic area utilizing said ultrasound energy.

15. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12, wherein transmitting the ultrasound signals to the ultrasound power receivers comprises transmitting said ultrasonic signals to said first and second electronic devices utilizing different subsets of said set of transmit ultrasonic transducers.

16. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12, wherein feedback is provided by said first and second electronic devices to said ultrasound power transmitter device over an ultrasound channel or other communication channel to increase power transmission efficiency for said ultrasound power transmitter device.

17. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12, wherein said ultrasound power transmitter device further comprises one or more alignment magnets that aligns with one or more alignment magnets of said first and second electronic devices for said transmitting.

18. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12 further comprising a spacer comprising an ultrasound conductive material located between said ultrasound power transmitter device and said ultrasound power receiver of the first electronic device.

19. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12, wherein said one or more processors of the ultrasound power transmitter device are configured to generate the device pairing information as a common secret between the first and second devices, wherein the first and second devices share no secrets prior to said pairing.

20. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12, wherein the device pairing information comprises at least one of a desired application, a device identity identifier, a supported communication protocol, and a candidate communication network.

21. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 12 further configured to act as a router to relay content between the first and second electronic devices.

22. The ultrasound power transmitter device according to claim 19 further configured to transmit a code to share by the first and second electronic devices to ensure the first and second devices still agree to pair with each other.